Exodus 10:21

Plague Nine: Darkness

21 And Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the heavens so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt and so that [a person can] feel darkness."

Exodus 10:21 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 10:21

And the Lord said unto Moses
About the eleventh day of the month Abib: stretch out thine hand toward heaven;
where the luminaries are, and from whence light comes: that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which
may be felt;
that is, what caused it, the gross vapours and thick fogs; for otherwise darkness itself, being a privation of light, cannot be felt: Onkelos paraphrases it,

``after that the darkness of the night is removed;''

so Jonathan; that it might appear to be different from that, and be much grosser.

Exodus 10:21 In-Context

19 And Yahweh turned a very strong {west wind} and lifted up the locusts and thrust them into the {Red Sea}, and not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt.

20 And Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not release the {Israelites}.

21 And Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the heavens so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt and so that [a person can] feel darkness."

22 And Moses stretched out his hand toward the heavens, and there was darkness of night in all the land of Egypt [for] three days.

23 No one could see his brother, and {because of it no one could move from where they were} [for] three days, but there was light for the {Israelites} in their dwellings.